Psalm Ps. 84. This is a psalm celebrating pilgrimage to Jerusalem to worship at the temple. It is very much like the hymns in praise of Zion as God’s special place (e.g., Psalm 122), although this one especially focuses on the delight of going to worship there. The purpose of singing this psalm is to cultivate that delight, to open the eyes and hearts of God’s people to the privilege of being a welcome guest in God’s own house. Wickedness offers no reward that can even remotely compare to the joy and pleasure of God’s house. The psalm has three parts, and in each part people are called “blessed” (84:4, 5, 12).
Ps. 84:1–4 The song opens by describing God’s house, the central sanctuary in Jerusalem. It is lovely and delightful, because it is the Lord’s dwelling place. This is why the faithful soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the Lord. This is where the worshiper actually meets the living God—no wonder his heart and flesh sing for joy. The marvel is that God’s house is a welcoming place. If even the sparrow finds a home there, and the swallow too, then the humble and faithful Israelite need not fear that God will turn him away.
Ps. 84:5–9 Those who make the journey to Zion to worship are blessed. Their strength is in God, to sustain them on the way. The highways are in their hearts, which probably means that they actually want to go. Pilgrimage was required (Deut. 16:16), but it should never become mechanical or burdensome.
Ps. 84:10–12 The final section describes the person who trusts in the Lord. He sincerely prefers one day in God’s courts to a thousand anywhere else. He prefers even the lowest task of service in the house of my God to any gain he might have if he were to dwell in the tents of wickedness. The chief good thing, in this psalm, is to be welcomed in the temple. The faithful can enjoy other things only to the degree that they express the life of the upright. Such people are blessed indeed!
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The Blue Letter Bible ministry and the BLB Institute hold to the historical, conservative Christian faith, which includes a firm belief in the inerrancy of Scripture. Since the text and audio content provided by BLB represent a range of evangelical traditions, all of the ideas and principles conveyed in the resource materials are not necessarily affirmed, in total, by this ministry.
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